Mike MacIntyre’s tenure as FIU’s head coach didn’t go as hoped.
The Golden Panthers went 4-8 each of the past three seasons, with a collective 6-18 mark against Conference USA teams during that stretch. That led to him being fired on Sunday.
“I want to thank Mike for pouring three years of his heart and soul into the program and for solidifying the foundation,” FIU athletic director Scott Carr said in a press release. “Coach Mac inherited a challenging situation three years ago, but he improved numerous areas within the program – from posting our highest-ever GPA to bettering the operations and budgets – and the culture shift has been evident.
“This was a decision based solely off on-field results, and at this time I felt our program needed to go in a different direction. While we have been more competitive on the field each of the last three seasons, unfortunately our win-loss record is not indicative of those statistical improvements. Winning championships and bowl games is our goal. With that standard in place, a comprehensive national search for a new head coach will begin immediately, and I will have no further comment until that process is completed.”
Here are some names FIU could consider for its head coaching search.
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Duke Running Backs Coach Willie Simmons
Simmons has the kind of head coaching experience FIU might be looking for.
Simmons is in his first season at Duke after previously being the head coach at Florida A&M. In six years there, Simmons went 45-13 and 34-5 against SWAC opponents. In 2023, a year when Simmons was the SWAC Coach of the Year, the Rattlers won their first SWAC title and the Celebration Bowl. They also were fifth in the FCS rankings. He coached multiple All-American players like Isaiah Land, who was the Buck Buchanan Award winner in 2021.
Before going to Florida A&M, he was the head coach at Prairie View A&M from 2015-17. He had a winning record there as well, going 21-11.
Previously, he was an offensive coordinator and running backs coach at Alcorn State (2012-14). But he also has other FBS experience, having been an offensive coordinator, running backs coach, and passing game coordinator at Middle Tennessee (2007-11). He was also a graduate assistant at Clemson in 2006.
Syracuse Offensive Coordinator Jeff Nixon
Though he’s at Syracuse now, Nixon has experience coaching in Florida at the NFL level and has worked with plenty of star players.
Nixon is in his first season as the Orange’s OC, and they are 11th in the country in total offense (456.1 yards per game) and are 32nd in scoring offense (32.6 points per game) following the last week of the regular season. Before coaching at Syracuse, Nixon was a running backs coach with the New York Giants and worked with Saquon Barkley. He also was a coach for the Carolina Panthers before that and was briefly their interim OC while also coaching running backs.
Before that, Nixon called plays as a co-offensive coordinator for Baylor, which ranked 17th in the FBS with 35.2 points per game in 2019. He was in the NFL before that, coaching tight ends for the San Francisco 49ers (2016), running backs for the Miami Dolphins (2011-15), and offense and special teams for the Philadelphia Eagles (2007-10). He also coached running backs at Temple (2006), Chattanooga (2003-05), Shippensburg (1999-02), and Princeton (1998). The former West Virginia and Penn State running back began his coaching career as a student assistant at Penn State in 1997.
Birmingham Stallions Defensive Assistant Anthony Blevins
Blevins has been an FBS coach in that region of the country and has a good coaching resume.
A former XFL player, Blevins played at UAB and was a cornerbacks coach there in 2012. Since then, he was an assistant in several roles for the Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants focusing on special teams and defensive secondaries. He coached players like Pro Bowlers Justin Bethel, Budda Baker, and Michael Thomas.
In 2023, he took an offer to be the head coach of the XFL’s Vegas Vipers, but he never led the team during a season due to the UFL’s merger.
Blevins’ ability to recruit in the area should make him a potential candidate.
Alabama Tight Ends Coach Bryan Ellis
Ellis has only been at Alabama for about a year. But if he were willing to leave for an FBS head coaching opportunity, FIU might make sense.
Last season, when Ellis was an offensive coordinator at Georgia Southern, the Eagles were in the top 50 in the country with 30.2 points and 419.5 yards per game. And that was a down year compared to the other teams he’s worked with.
In 2022, which was Ellis’ first as Georgia Southern’s OC and QBs coach, the Eagles were in the top 20 in the FBS with 466.7 yards per game and scored 32.7 points per game.
Before that, Ellis was Western Kentucky’s co-offensive coordinator and inside receivers coach. In 2021, the Hilltoppers were second in the country with 44.2 points per game and 535.3 yards per game while leading the FBS with 433.7 passing yards per game.
He was WKU’s OC and quarterbacks coach from 2019-20 and was an assistant there from 2014-16. From 2017-18, he worked with quarterbacks at USC.
Clemson Co-Defensive Coordinator Mickey Conn
Conn is another current Power Four assistant who could make sense for FIU.
Clemson is currently in the top 30 in the FBS in scoring defense (21.08 points per game allowed). Conn has worked with several All-Americans and All-ACC honorees as well.
Conn has coached at Clemson since 2016. He’s currently the team’s safeties coach and was a senior defensive analyst early during his time there as well. Before that, he was the head coach at Grayson High School in Georgia for 16 seasons, where he went 137-48.
With his experience and connections, he might be a good coach and recruiter for FIU.
